Play-party game 'Punchinello'

Subject: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 03:17 AM

A recent thread on "Ring Around a Rosy" got me thinking about the play-party games we used to play when I was a little kid, like "Little Sally Ann", "The Farmer in the Dell", and "London Bridge". I remember there was one that I really liked (well, I'll admit that my tastes as a 6-year-old were not fully matured) called "Punchinello". Seems to me I only played it once; all I remember is

Look who comes here, Punchinello little fellow
Look who comes here, Punchinello little dear

Does anybody remember any more of the song, or the rules to the game? (I grew up in Philadelphia; it's conceivable that this was a strictly local game, but I don't think so.)

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Jeanie
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 03:58 AM

Yes Mark ! I remember that one, too - and miles away from Philadelphia. I used to play it at Brownies (which I think in the US are called Junior Girl Scouts ??) in Essex, east of London, England.

Everyone stands in a circle, with one child in the middle. The song goes: Look who comes here, Punchinello, little fellow, Punchinello little man,

What can you do, Punchinello, little fellow, Punchinello little man,

(The child in the centre chooses an action and everyone copies him/her)

We can do it too, Punchinello, little fellow, Punchinello little man.

I've just looked it up on Google, and it's interesting to see that the song comes up on two websites, one dedicated to teaching deaf children and the other to blind. The one about teaching blind pre-schoolers is fascinating: http://snow.utoronto.ca/best/special/OneIsFun/chapter_002.htm

Thanks, Mark - that song had stayed in the dim recesses of my dim brain - and I've found a very interesting website through it, too !

-jeanie

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 06:41 AM

Yes, this is a hit with the 6 year olds at school, too! Jeanie, I learned it at Brownies, too- same name in the US. We sing it a little differently:

Oh, look who's here, Punchinello, Punchinello,
Look who's here, Punchinello in the shoe.

Oh, what do you do? etc.

Oh, we can do it, too! etc.

Oh, who do you choose? etc.

There's a funny syncopation in the middle that I don't remember as a child, but my students love it!

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 07:32 AM

(1) Punchinello

All the kids sit or stand in a circle. One child, picked to play Punchinello, comes into the middle of the circle. Everybody sings or chants: " What can you do Punchinello, Funny Fellow. What can you do Punchinello, Funny Clown?"
Punchinello does something funny like stick out his tongue, walk on four feet, hold his ears and wiggle them, or wave his arms and legs. All the others copy the action while they sing: "We can do it too, Punchinello, Funny Fellow. We can do it too Punchinello, Funny Clown."
Then the child in the middle gets to pick who's going to be Punchinello next -- someone who hasn't had a turn while everyone sings: "Who do you choose, Punchinello, Funny Fellow. Who do you choose, Punchinello, Funny Clown?" He picks another Punchinello and the game continues until everyone has had a turn.

(2) Punchinello

What can you do Punchinello, funny fellow?
What can you do, Punchinello, funny you?

We can do it, too, Punchinello, funny fellow.
We can do it, too, Punchinello, funny you.

Choose someone new, Punchinello, funny fellow.
Choose someone new, Punchinello, funny you.

(3) Punchinello

Circle Game
Written By: Unknown
Copyright Unknown

TO START:
Children form into a circle,
with one child in center as 'Punchinello.'

VERSE 1:
('Punchinello' does an action -- hopping on one foot, twirling, etc. -- while the children sing.)

What can you do,
Punchinello, funny fellow?
What can you do,
Punchinello, funny you?

VERSE 2:
(Children in circle copy the action that Punchinello is doing.)

We can do it, too,
Punchinello, funny fellow,
We can do it, too,
Punchinello, funny you!

VERSE 3:
(Punchinello selects another child as Punchinello, then takes that child's place in the circle.)

You choose one of us,
Punchinello, funny fellow,
You choose one of us,
Punchinello, funny you!
.....................................................

The version in Opie, The Singing Game (Oxford, No. 118 [pp. 412-413]; with music) is:

What shall we do, Punchinello, little fellow?
What shall we do, Punchinello, little dear?

We'll do the same, Punchinello, little fellow,
We'll do the same, Punchinello, little dear.

The Opies say the original is French (c.1910), and that "it seems to have created for kindergarten use." Several French sites (Click HERE, HERE, and HERE) are found which contain this song (the title usually being "(La) Polichinelle"), though there're some differences in melody from the Opies' English version. The Opies go on to say:

"When children began playing the game spontaneously is not known. In A Baker's Dozen: Singing Games for Brownies, 1947, Mary Charter noted that it 'seems to have caught on in Britain and has become more popular than most such importations'. Certainly it was being played in a great number of places in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, whether at Brownies or in playtime, and both words and method of playing varied from place to place."

They list the records from Britain, USA, New Zealand, and Canada.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: rich-joy
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 08:43 AM

How embarrassing!! This definitely rings a bell with me too (and Jeanie's game description) - from many years ago in Western AUSTRALIA. But was it from early Primary School (1950's), or 1st year Girl Guides (1960's), or was it merely from my little sister watching kids'TV in the early 1960's?? Who can tell ...

"What can you do, Punchinello, little fellow?
What can you do Punchinello, little man?
We'll do it too, Punchinello, little fellow!
We'll do it too, Punchinello,little man!"

Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 04:24 PM

That's it! Thanks, everybody. I remember the tune, and if anyone's interested I can probably put it into a postable form when I have the chance...which may be a while, considering that my daughter and my mother are visiting and I'll be moving to Honolulu next week!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 04:28 PM

Reminds me of Knees Up Mother Brown, knees up mother brown, knees up knees up never let the breeze up knees up Mother Brown, Oh, hopping on one foot, hopping on one foot, hopping hopping never stopping hopping on one foot (cho) - dancing round and round/whirling whirling never twirling... etc. Anybody know that one? More of a song you move along to than a game...

Subject: Lyr Add: KNEES UP, MOTHER BROWN
From: The Walrus
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 05:51 PM

Mrrzy,

It looks to me that there is a line missing from your version of "Knees Up Mother Brown" In the DT "KUMB" is

Oh, knees up Mother Brown,
Knees up Mother Brown,
Come along, dearie, let it go
E-I-E-I-E-I-Oh!
It's your blooming birthday
Let's wake up all the town;
So knees up, knees up
Don't get the breeze up
Knees up Mother Brown!

However, the version I grew up with[1] is:

Knees up Mother Brown,
Knees up Mother Brown,
Under the table you must go
E-I-E-I-E-I-O!
If I catch you bending
I'll saw your legs right off;
So knees up, knees up
Never get the breeze up
Knees up Mother Brown! [2]

Usually followed by a chorus of:

Oh my, What a rotten song
What a rotten song
What a rotten song
Oh my, What a rotten song
And what a rotten singer too.

The DT version was also used, but not as frequently by my mob.

Walrus

[1] Learned at numerous wedding receptions & family parties. [2] Hey, no one said the words had to make sense

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 06:42 PM

I think that John Connolly song 'Punch & Judy Man' refers to Punchinello, but I'll ask The Bloke in the Corner, who will keep singing the blasted thing

Skipjack

Subject: Lyr ADD: PUNCHINELLO (Version 2)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 08:01 PM

This version is closer (at least musically) to the French original.

Punchinello (Version 2) (with MIDI)

Old French Nursery Song
English Words By: Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Adapted By: Terry Kluytmans
Copyright c 2002 Terry Kluytmans

Come to the circus
With merry Punchinello,
Come to the circus
With Punchinello, oh!
With his red nose,
And funny shoes and clothes,
Nobody knows
Such funny tricks as he!

Laugh at the circus
With merry Punchinello,
Laugh at the circus
With Punchinello, oh!
He'll take a fall,
But won't get hurt at all,
You'll have a ball,
With Punchinello, oh!

Come to the circus
With merry Punchinello,
Come to the circus
With Punchinello, oh!

('Punchinello' is the French equivalent of our clown.)

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: PUNCHINELLO
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 Jul 02 - 02:49 AM

There're variations both in words and music.

(1) PUNCHINELLO
(American tradition)

What can you do, Punchinello, funny fellow?
What can you do, Punchinello, funny you?

What can do it too, Punchinello, funny fellow!
What can do it too, Punchinello, funny you!

What choose one of us, Punchinello, funny fellow!
What choose one of us, Punchinello, funny you!

"This is a circle game with children taking turns in the center, making up motions for the others to copy."

SOURCE: Nancy & John Langstaff, Jim Along, Josie: A Collection of Folk Songs and Singing Games for Young Children (Harcourt Brace Jovsanovich, 1970, p. 113; with music)

(2) No title

Look who comes here, Punchinello little fellow,
Look who comes here, Punchinello little man.

What can you do, Punchinello little fellow?
What can you do, Punchinello little man?

We'll do it too, Punchinello little fellow,
We'll do it too, Punchinello little man!

"The children stand in a ring while the one chosen to be Punchinello skips around inside. During the second verse he performs some action. During the third verse the children copy him."

SOURCE: Elizabeth Matterson, This Little Puffin...: Nursery Songs and Rhymes (Puffin Books, 1969, p. 177; with music)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Jul 02 - 04:00 AM

I wonder if it was just an East coast thing in the US? My sisters and I were all in Brownies and Girl Scouts and I don't ever recall having heard it. Maybe bet will come along and refresh my memory. Interesting how widespread it seems.

kat

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 23 Jul 02 - 06:29 AM

Kat, I was living in Greeley, Colo, at the time, so there goes that idea!

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: IanC
Date: 23 Jul 02 - 06:57 AM

I'm surprised nobody has yet pointed out the link with Punch and Judy (so I will). "Punchinello" is an intermediate form of "Punch", occasionally used in 18th and 19th Century Punch and Judy. It's thought that the name originally derived from "Pulchinello", one of the characters in the Italian "Commedia dell'arte".

There's a nice brief history of Punch and Judy here.

:-)
Ian

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 07:59 PM

wow - I haven't thought of Punchinello in over 60 years!
I remember playing in the circle and singing that about 1947.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Mo the caller
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 06:38 AM

Yes, we were taught it at GLB cadets (similar to Brownies) in London in late 40s. The word were slightly different

What are you doing, little Punchinella?
What are you doing Punchinella dear?

We'll do it too (etc.)

Tune the same as the start of 'Down at the Station early in the morning'.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Cool Beans
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 05:55 PM

I learned it from my ex-wife, who hails from rural upstate New York. She sings it as:
What can you do, Punchinello, Punchinello?
What can you do, Punchinello in a shoe?
We can do it too, Punchinello, Punchinello!
We can do it too, Punchinello in a shoe.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,Ladybowler
Date: 07 Nov 10 - 01:20 PM

I grew on Long Island, New York, and I learned to play this game in elementary school in the sixties.

What can you do, Punchinella, Punchinella?
What can you do, Punchinella in a shoe?
We can do it too, Punchinella, Punchinella!
We can do it too, Punchinella in a shoe

Oh who do you choose Punchinella, Punchinella?
Who do you choose Punchinella in the shoe?
(until everyone in the circle had a turn)

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Little Robyn
Date: 07 Nov 10 - 01:47 PM

Here in NZ we learnt it at school and played it much the same way.
I'm not sure if we played it at Brownies as well but at GLB (Girl's Life Brigade) we didn't.

Our verses were:
Look who is here Punchinello funny fellow,
Look who is here Punchinello funny man.
(sung as each new child enters the circle)

What can you do Punchinello..........
(child in centre does an action)

We'll do it too Punchinello..........
(everyone does the action)

Who do you choose..............
(child in centre closes eyes, points and turns around and when the singing stops, the person being pointed to becomes the next Punchinello)

I'm guessing it was taught to student teachers at Teacher's Training Colleges, for it to be so widely known and so similar all around the world. That's how 'Cookie Jar' arrived in NZ.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,Alex
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 11:45 AM

I'm now 59 and for the last 2 days a tune - and only remembering a few words went through my head in an endless loop about "Punchinello"
THanks for filling in the rest.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,Suzanne
Date: 21 Jan 11 - 08:57 AM

I'm 22 and work as a primary school teaching assistant.
When i was in school, our Headteacher taught us this but the lyrics were slightly different...

what can you do punchinello punchinello
what can you do punchinello 42

child hops etc

we can do it to punchinello punchinello,
we can do it do punchinello 42

turn right round punchinello punchinello
turn right round punchinello 42

In the school i worked at previously, i was surprised to see the children playing this game on the yard, with the same lyrics
and the children in my current school also sing these lyrics.
strange how we have a completly different variation on the end!!

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 02:36 PM

yes. Punchinello is the leader so you ask him.
what can you do punchinello punchinello what can you do punchinello in a shoe. than we response we can do it too punchinello punchinello we can do it too punchinello in a shoe. you take turns being punchinello you also . you can hop on one foot or just run back and forth they have to follow you and just sing we can do it too.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: Joybell
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 04:50 PM

For the record -- It was known here in Australia too. It was considered an old singing-game in the 1950s. Can't recall the exact words.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 11 - 11:02 PM

I grew up in Jamaica, West Indies, playing this game at school during recess. In the 1950s, the words we sang were:

Who is coming next, Punchinello, little fellow?
Who is coming next, Punchinello, little dear?

What can you do, Punchinello, little fellow?
What can you do, PUnchinello, little dear?

We can do it too, Punchinello, little fellow
We can do it too, Punchinello, little dear.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,Rebekah
Date: 06 Oct 11 - 03:07 PM

Wow, this whole conversation has me gob smacked, it's great. I'm an aussie living in the usa at the moment with two toddlers, we've been playing with balloons after a recent birthday and today I picked one up on a string hitting it on my wrist and this song from my childhood came to mind, only I thought I learnt it from 70..s kids show called romper room! But now I recall playing it at school! Thanks for the memories, now I am reminded of all the words I can share it with the next generation :)

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 11 - 10:02 AM

Bronx New York Version from the 1970s:

Look whos here
Punchanella Punchanella
Look whos here
Punchanella in a shoe
(children circle around one kid while singing)

Well what can you do
Punchanella Punchanella
What can you do
Punchanella in a shoe
(child in the middle usually does a dance move)

Well we can do it too
Punchanella Punchanella
We can do it too
Punchanella in a shoe
(other children copy dance move)

So who do you choose
Punchanella Punchanella
Who do you choose
Punchanella in a shoe
(child closes her eyes and spins with her finger pointing out. whomever she is pointing to when the song stops, goes to the center next)

Thank you for posting this. My sister posted this song on FB and we all knew the words, but no one knew the origins.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,Niki
Date: 29 Nov 11 - 10:04 AM

Bronx New York Version from the 1970s:

Look whos here
Punchanella Punchanella
Look whos here
Punchanella in a shoe
(children circle around one kid while singing)

Well what can you do
Punchanella Punchanella
What can you do
Punchanella in a shoe
(child in the middle usually does a dance move)

Well we can do it too
Punchanella Punchanella
We can do it too
Punchanella in a shoe
(other children copy dance move)

So who do you choose
Punchanella Punchanella
Who do you choose
Punchanella in a shoe
(child closes her eyes and spins with her finger pointing out. whomever she is pointing to when the song stops, goes to the center next)

Thank you for posting this. My sister posted this song on FB and we all knew the words, but no one knew the origins.

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jan 12 - 11:24 PM

We used to sing and play this game when I was going to Primary School in New Zealand adout 1947.
We would choose a person to be Punchinello, form a circle around him/her and sing
"What can you do Punchinello Funny Fellow
What can you do Puchinello Funny Man"
Punchinello then does some action which everyone follows singing
"We'll do it too Punchinello Funny Fellow
"We'll do it too Puncinello Funny Man"
then
"Who do you choose Punchinello Funny Fellow
"Who do you choose Punchinell Funny Man"
This may have been brought from America by the American Servicemen
who were in New Zealand in the early part of WW11

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jan 13 - 02:04 PM

I remember that song, we use to have sooo much fun, we had a big circle of kids, the song goes like this, oh what can you do punchinello punchinello oh what can you do punchinello in your shoe, oh, who do you choose punchinello punchinello oh who do you choose punchinello in your shoe, then the child in the middle does something and we all do it too, then it repeats again, thanks , great memories everyone

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST,Viz
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 02:35 AM

My Grandfather sings it - I'm 43. He's 90 I think. He sings "who's coming here punchanellow little fellah; who's coming here punchanello little dear". He sings it to the almost the same tune as Ozzy Osbourne's "Journey to the cemtre of eternity".

Subject: RE: Play-party game 'Punchinello'
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 13 - 03:47 AM

Details of american variants of the song and game http://www.jesterbear.com/Aradia/Punchinello.html